Extras Instructions For Public Enemies (Quotes in bold. My comments make up the rest of the content.)
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an extra on a set of a major movie? Last night, while I was surfing around looking for the latest on the Michael Mann-directed film, Public Enemies, I found a page which I'll reproduce in part to give you a glimpse into the straight jacket-world of being an extra.
Public Enemies is a “period” feature film, circa early 1930s. You know what this means period hair styles and wardrobe fittings – guys please keep your hair long – do not cut it!! Women will need to have period hair styles – Everyone that will be cast will need to attend a wardrobe fitting. The fitting usually takes a few hours – you’ll be fit in an outfit and also be looked at by the hair department. Haircuts will most likely happen at the wardrobe fitting. The fitting usually happens a week or so before your day on set...
So essentially, for a lousy-paying job if you are a man your cannot cut your hair. I suppose then you also cannot keep a day job that requires you to be clean-cut.
I am also looking for people (non-speaking roles) that will be able to work many days. So let me know if this might be you!; I’m also searching for people that might be available for one or two days. These are paid extras positions. Rate TBD. Being that this is a period film we need to find people that are able to fit into the period wardrobe. There are size requirements
MEN need to 6’1” and under and WOMEN 5’8” and under (no larger than a size 12), all ages (including children) in order to be considered.
Wow, this lady must have done her homework. I never knew that in 1934 the average woman was no larger than a modern size 12! Good thing for the lady extras that, despite Public Enemies being "a period piece," the ladies clothing she describes are modern size 12's and not 1934 size 12's. The rough equivalent of a 1934 size 12 Ladies to today's size 12 Ladies is: 1934 Size 12 equals today's size 8-10.
KIDS: I only consider casting kids that have current work permits on file with (xxxxx Casting). Casting children goes down fast. I mean super fast. They might call me the night before a shoot and ask for a child of a certain age. I run to my kids’ files and pull any child that has a work permit. Don’t miss out because your child doesn’t have a work permit!
Calling all stage parents!
And gee, who knew that the casting lady "just run(s) to her kids’ files and pull(s) any child that has a work permit?" See, it's really not that hard to land a job in a Hollywood picture. It's just matter of casting closing their eyes and grabbing.
Next!
We start shooting in mid-March and shoot through June 2008. I will be holding open casting calls soon! Stay tuned. We will be shooting in Chicago and on location in Wisconsin.
(various towns). We will have open casting calls in Chicago for our Chicago extras and in Wisconsin for our Wisconsin extras. All casting calls TBD.
In others words, you’d best be on the edge of your seat—and stay there or in more modern parlance keep your cellphone on your person at all times and make sure the battery is charged.
Who are the types of people I cast to be extras? Nice people. People that act professionally on set. People that I meet who are courteous and pay attention at casting calls. It takes a patient, attentive, nice, punctual, respectful person to do well on a film set. I know because I’ve met many. MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE who work as extras.
This boils down to BE NICE! If you are not NICE do not darken casting’s door.
All I ever hear from every film I’ve ever cast is how nice the extras are. This is huge! Seriously, you guys should be proud. I know I am. A prepared and wonderful person working as an extra makes for a great experience for all—from the wardrobe department to the locations department—from the Assistant Directors, to the actors. The crew notices!
In addition to being NICE you also should be both PREPARED and WONDERFUL.
You can be a person that has never been on a film set in their life and be an extra. One day, regular person, next day… oh, my gosh, on a movie set!!
But only if you are willing to be NICE, PREPARED and WONDERFUL. Because…
It can be a wonderful, life-changing experience.
See! It’s worth being be NICE, PREPARED and WONDERFUL.
It can also be incredibly boring.
R’oh, r’oh.
Mind-numbingly boring as you sit in the holding area (an area where the extras hang out while waiting to go to set).
This is starting to sound really unappealing. Maybe it’d be better to go to the local opening night?
There are some sets where you might be in holding for hours and hours before you get out on set. Heck, back in the day when I was doing extra work, I sat in the holding area for two entire days and I never even got out on set.
Hanging.
Sweet how she talks about back in her starving uh, casting director days.
She hung. A lot.
I said hello to the person on my right, and I said hello to the person on my left.
Then she turned herself around…
And then I laughed my head off for two straight days
And went completely insane. How fun!
—see, life is what you make it. Make a friend, or be miserable. Your choice.
That’s it? Only two choices in life?! Two?????
That’s the beauty and magic of film making!
I picture neither beauty nor magic when I read her description of life as an extra. But that’s just me.
The secret to being a successful working extra: Have a great attitude and be prepared! Bring a book for those times you are hanging in the holding area. Bring some snacks. Aside from the delicious lunch served about halfway through the day, don’t count on being fed at other times. I never did. You need to take care of yourself. Be smart. Bring a few drinks (um, not that kind). If you are working outside and it’s hot and sunny, wear sunscreen! If it’s freezing, layer what you can under your outfits. Bring hand and feet warmers. Are you starting to get it?
I think I got it back when you recounted the two "straight" days of hysterical laughter.
A normal film day lasts 12 hours and sometimes even hours longer. You need to be available the entire day/night. There’s no cutting out early, ever! (kids under 16 work fewer hours). If you are cast on a shoot you need to prepare yourself that you will never know when your day will be over. No one knows.
It sounds so not worth it. There has got to be a better route to breaking into showbiz!
Never ask on set, or at a wardrobe fitting, when you can go home – this is quite the uncomfortable question and will make you look ill-prepared (you want to be in the know – a rock star!) Please don’t ask. You’ll get some not-so-nice looks. Believe it or not, everything gets back to me. Instantly. Something happens on set with an extra and…
(goes on at length about how intrusive it is when an extra annoys someone important on set.)
***Things change constantly on films. This is so important to know. If you are cast for a particular shoot date, this date might change many times before you actually find yourself on set. Flexibility is key!
So here’s the scoop, people!
If you want a job with no security, horrendously long hours—both day and night—or conversely, no work whatsoever for long stretches, a job that can be deathly boring for extended periods, a job in which you will be made to stay in a holding area (wonder if that used to be called “pen”?), in other words if you want a craptastic job in the film industry in which you have no hope of being anything more than what you are—an “extra”—then this may be the job for you!
I’d like to give a “shout out” to all the fantastic extras I know—avert your eyes to the above as you already know all this and do fabulously well on set!
I dunno. I’d suggest “avert(ing) your eyes” for the entire page.
Working as a film extra is a challenge when shoot dates change – I realize that you guys go to great lengths to take off work, get babysitters, switch your lives around to be out on our sets. It’s appreciated.
Wow. Just wow. Someone explain to me why anyone would want to be an extra for more than say, once?
Thank you!
Can’t wait to see everyone! You guys rock!
We will be making calls to cast extras anytime from now until the end of June.
OK. Well you for sure won’t have me bothering you. Anyone else who does-- like the lady said, you guys rock!
